Department of History and Art History
Department of History and Art History George Mason University Fall 2016 Wednesday 4:30-7:10 pm Enterprise Hall 276
Instructor: Dr. Gerrit van der Wees Email: [email protected] Office: Robinson B375C Office hours: 3:30-4:20 pm HIST 387-006: History of Taiwan
Course Description: Taiwan has a rich history, with its strategic geographic location attracting a succession of pirates, colonial powers, and settlers driven by poverty and chaos in China to this fertile land originally populated by Austronesian peoples. Today, Taiwan is an international flashpoint, the one place where the possibility of war between major powers exists. This course will explore the factors that have created this complex situation: claims to sovereignty over the island over the course of centuries, the post-World War II matrix of decolonization and self-determination, shifting U.S. policy toward the island, and the drive for democracy with its attendant heightened sense of a unique Taiwanese identity developed over the past decades. This course is designed to familiarize students with the history and people of Taiwan and its success in transforming itself from an authoritarian, underdeveloped country into a free and vibrant democracy. The course will also explore the complex triangular relationship among Taiwan, China and the United States. The first part of the course will survey the history of Taiwan and will cover the original inhabitants, the Dutch and Spanish occupations, the Koxinga period, the Manchu (Ch’ing) era, Japanese colonial rule, and the Republic of China on Taiwan after World War II. The second and third parts will focus on the democracy movement as well as explore Taiwan’s relationship with China and the U.S. We conclude with Taiwan’s arrival into the 21st Century as a vibrant democracy. As we travel through the country’s history, we will also touch on a broad range of issues such as the environment, arts and culture. Required Texts Jonathan Manthorpe, Forbidden Nation: A History of Taiwan, Palgrave/MacMillan, 2009. Jerome F. Keating and April C.J. Lin: Island in the Stream; A quick case study of Taiwan’s Complex History. SMC Publishing, 2008.
Milo L. Thornberry: Fireproof Moth; A Missionary in Taiwan’s White Terror. Sunbury Press, 2011. Optional reading: Nancy Bernkopf Tucker. Strait Talk: United States-Taiwan Relations and the Crisis with China. Harvard University Press. 2009 Additional articles will be assigned and given to students or posted at the website. Course Requirements and Grading 1. Class attendance and participation (30%). Regular class attendance and active participation in class discussions are expected of all students. Although the class will be conducted primarily in a lecture format, students are invited to contribute their thoughtful comments in the class. 2. Three 5-6 page analysis pieces (35%). Professor will provide two or three topics, with appropriate readings and suggestions for further research, for students to choose from and to write up their analyses. Papers should include footnotes of sources used and quoted. The papers will be due on the dates listed in the syllabus. The papers may be typed and handed in or posted to the professor’s email account: [email protected] 3. Take-home final examination (35%). The examination questions will be distributed during the last day of class. Add and drop deadlines for classes The deadlines for adding or dropping courses in the Fall 2016 Semester are given below: Last Day to Add (Full-Semester Course): September 6, 2016 Last Day to Drop (Full-Semester Course): September 30, 2016 Honor Code and Plagiarism Statement: To promote a stronger sense of mutual responsibility, respect, trust and fairness among all members of the George Mason University community and with the desire for greater academic and personal achievement, we, the student members of the university community, have set forth this honor code: Student members of the George Mason University community pledge not to cheat, plagiarize, steal, or lie in matters related to academic work. For details on how the honor system at GMU works, please see: http://www.gmu.edu/catalog/apolicies/index.htm#honor_system_and_code
Disabilities If you are a student with a disability, please contact the Disability Resource Center at (703) 993-2474 for assistance. Use of Cell Phones During Class As a courtesy to the instructor and to fellow students, please turn off your cell phones during the class or switch them to a silent mode. Class Schedule and Assignments For details of administrative deadlines, please consult GMU Fall 2016 Academic Calendar. Date 08/31
Topics Introduction, course requirements, and introduction to Taiwan today: its geography, people, political system, and economy The origins: aboriginal tribes and expansion across the South Pacific
Assignment Keating, Chronology and preface Manthorpe, preface, 1-20
09/07
15 and 16th Century: the European explorers make their way to East Asia; the Spice Trade
Keating, 01-05 Manthorpe, 21-42
09/14
1624 – 1662 the Dutch and Spanish periods in Taiwan; 1662-1683: The fall of Zeelandia; rule of Koxinga
Keating, 06-10 Manthorpe, 43-53
09/21
1683-1887: The Manchu (Ch’ing) rule of Taiwan
Keating, 10-16 Manthorpe, 54-110
09/28
1887-1895: The Taiwan Republic; first independent republic in Asia First paper due
Keating, 17-24 Manthorpe, 111-140
10/05
1895-1945: Sino-Japanese war and the cession of Taiwan to Japan. The Japanese period.
Keating, 25-32 Manthorpe, 141-164
10/12
1945-1972: Under repressive Kuomintang rule
Keating, 37-54 Manthorpe, 165-186
10/19
1971-1979: Towards derecognition
10/26
1979-1989: Transition to democracy Second paper due
Keating, 57-66 Manthorpe, 187-210 Thornberry, Fireproof Moth Keating 67-80 Manthorpe, 211-226
11/02
1989-1996: Democratic consolidation under President Lee Teng-hui 1996-2000: The Taiwan missile crisis. President Clinton’s Three Noes
Manthorpe, 227-238 Class presentations Manthorpe, 239-258 Class presentations
2000-2008: The years of DPP President Chen Shui-bian Third paper due Thanksgiving recess
Manthorpe, 259-270 Class presentations
11/30
2008-2016: The Kuomintang returns to power. The Administration of President Ma Ying-jeou
Class presentations
12/07
Taiwan’s January 2016 elections. DPP President Tsai Ing-wen comes to power. Significance and implications. Last day of class.
Class presentations
12/14
Take home Final Exam
11/09 11/16 11/23
Instructor: Dr. Gerrit van der Wees Email: [email protected] Office: Robinson B375C Office hours: 3:30-4:20 pm HIST 387-006: History of Taiwan
Course Description: Taiwan has a rich history, with its strategic geographic location attracting a succession of pirates, colonial powers, and settlers driven by poverty and chaos in China to this fertile land originally populated by Austronesian peoples. Today, Taiwan is an international flashpoint, the one place where the possibility of war between major powers exists. This course will explore the factors that have created this complex situation: claims to sovereignty over the island over the course of centuries, the post-World War II matrix of decolonization and self-determination, shifting U.S. policy toward the island, and the drive for democracy with its attendant heightened sense of a unique Taiwanese identity developed over the past decades. This course is designed to familiarize students with the history and people of Taiwan and its success in transforming itself from an authoritarian, underdeveloped country into a free and vibrant democracy. The course will also explore the complex triangular relationship among Taiwan, China and the United States. The first part of the course will survey the history of Taiwan and will cover the original inhabitants, the Dutch and Spanish occupations, the Koxinga period, the Manchu (Ch’ing) era, Japanese colonial rule, and the Republic of China on Taiwan after World War II. The second and third parts will focus on the democracy movement as well as explore Taiwan’s relationship with China and the U.S. We conclude with Taiwan’s arrival into the 21st Century as a vibrant democracy. As we travel through the country’s history, we will also touch on a broad range of issues such as the environment, arts and culture. Required Texts Jonathan Manthorpe, Forbidden Nation: A History of Taiwan, Palgrave/MacMillan, 2009. Jerome F. Keating and April C.J. Lin: Island in the Stream; A quick case study of Taiwan’s Complex History. SMC Publishing, 2008.
Milo L. Thornberry: Fireproof Moth; A Missionary in Taiwan’s White Terror. Sunbury Press, 2011. Optional reading: Nancy Bernkopf Tucker. Strait Talk: United States-Taiwan Relations and the Crisis with China. Harvard University Press. 2009 Additional articles will be assigned and given to students or posted at the website. Course Requirements and Grading 1. Class attendance and participation (30%). Regular class attendance and active participation in class discussions are expected of all students. Although the class will be conducted primarily in a lecture format, students are invited to contribute their thoughtful comments in the class. 2. Three 5-6 page analysis pieces (35%). Professor will provide two or three topics, with appropriate readings and suggestions for further research, for students to choose from and to write up their analyses. Papers should include footnotes of sources used and quoted. The papers will be due on the dates listed in the syllabus. The papers may be typed and handed in or posted to the professor’s email account: [email protected] 3. Take-home final examination (35%). The examination questions will be distributed during the last day of class. Add and drop deadlines for classes The deadlines for adding or dropping courses in the Fall 2016 Semester are given below: Last Day to Add (Full-Semester Course): September 6, 2016 Last Day to Drop (Full-Semester Course): September 30, 2016 Honor Code and Plagiarism Statement: To promote a stronger sense of mutual responsibility, respect, trust and fairness among all members of the George Mason University community and with the desire for greater academic and personal achievement, we, the student members of the university community, have set forth this honor code: Student members of the George Mason University community pledge not to cheat, plagiarize, steal, or lie in matters related to academic work. For details on how the honor system at GMU works, please see: http://www.gmu.edu/catalog/apolicies/index.htm#honor_system_and_code
Disabilities If you are a student with a disability, please contact the Disability Resource Center at (703) 993-2474 for assistance. Use of Cell Phones During Class As a courtesy to the instructor and to fellow students, please turn off your cell phones during the class or switch them to a silent mode. Class Schedule and Assignments For details of administrative deadlines, please consult GMU Fall 2016 Academic Calendar. Date 08/31
Topics Introduction, course requirements, and introduction to Taiwan today: its geography, people, political system, and economy The origins: aboriginal tribes and expansion across the South Pacific
Assignment Keating, Chronology and preface Manthorpe, preface, 1-20
09/07
15 and 16th Century: the European explorers make their way to East Asia; the Spice Trade
Keating, 01-05 Manthorpe, 21-42
09/14
1624 – 1662 the Dutch and Spanish periods in Taiwan; 1662-1683: The fall of Zeelandia; rule of Koxinga
Keating, 06-10 Manthorpe, 43-53
09/21
1683-1887: The Manchu (Ch’ing) rule of Taiwan
Keating, 10-16 Manthorpe, 54-110
09/28
1887-1895: The Taiwan Republic; first independent republic in Asia First paper due
Keating, 17-24 Manthorpe, 111-140
10/05
1895-1945: Sino-Japanese war and the cession of Taiwan to Japan. The Japanese period.
Keating, 25-32 Manthorpe, 141-164
10/12
1945-1972: Under repressive Kuomintang rule
Keating, 37-54 Manthorpe, 165-186
10/19
1971-1979: Towards derecognition
10/26
1979-1989: Transition to democracy Second paper due
Keating, 57-66 Manthorpe, 187-210 Thornberry, Fireproof Moth Keating 67-80 Manthorpe, 211-226
11/02
1989-1996: Democratic consolidation under President Lee Teng-hui 1996-2000: The Taiwan missile crisis. President Clinton’s Three Noes
Manthorpe, 227-238 Class presentations Manthorpe, 239-258 Class presentations
2000-2008: The years of DPP President Chen Shui-bian Third paper due Thanksgiving recess
Manthorpe, 259-270 Class presentations
11/30
2008-2016: The Kuomintang returns to power. The Administration of President Ma Ying-jeou
Class presentations
12/07
Taiwan’s January 2016 elections. DPP President Tsai Ing-wen comes to power. Significance and implications. Last day of class.
Class presentations
12/14
Take home Final Exam
11/09 11/16 11/23
